| antebellum |
in or of the period prior to a war, especially the American Civil War. |
| denigrate |
to deny the worth of; sneer at; belittle. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| emote |
to express or simulate feelings, especially in an exaggerated or theatrical manner. |
| gossamer |
delicately fine, gauzelike, or filmy. |
| harbinger |
someone or something that signals or foreshadows a later arrival or occurrence; herald; forerunner. |
| impugn |
to call into question; challenge or try to discredit. |
| indurate |
to make hard in texture; harden. |
| inflection |
change that occurs in the form of words to show a grammatical characteristic such as the tense of a verb, the number of a noun, or the degree of an adjective or adverb. |
| libertine |
acting without restraint; dissolute; amoral. |
| picayune |
having little value or significance; small; paltry. |
| refulgent |
shining brilliantly; radiant. |
| tyro |
one who is beginning to learn a business, trade, sport, or the like; novice; neophyte. |
| virago |
a shrewish, domineering woman; nag or scold. |
| welter |
to roll about or wallow, as in mud or the open sea. |